Meant to Be
by TracyT
Summary: Are Sam and Jack meant to be together?


"Meant To Be"

By Tracy

Category: Romance, humor

Summary: Now that they're together, is it really meant to be?

Season: Eight

Pairing: Sam/Jack, of course

Spoiler: Affinity

Rating: PG

Archive: Yes, please.

Feedback: Greatly appreciated at

SJSJSJSJSJ

The TV weatherman droned on and on. Jack stared at the TV, Sam sitting between his legs, leaning back against him. Strange he thought, here they were seemingly watching with rapt attention, and neither one of them was really seeing a thing.

He knew Sam wasn't watching because she kept chewing on her lower lip, a sure sign that something was bothering her, and she was slowly twisting her engagement ring around and around her finger. They'd been engaged just about a week, and now he was afraid she was regretting it.

She'd been fine until he had started talking about their upcoming married life. He'd asked her where she wanted to live, his house or hers, or maybe looking for a new house that would be theirs, and he'd jokingly said something about making sure they had a room ready that could become a nursery. Ever since then she'd been quiet and pensive, nervous as a cat, and the sinking feeling in his gut told him she was having second thoughts about this engagement.

He should have known better, he told himself. What would this stunning, vibrant, GLORIOUS woman want with the likes of him? He was too old, too grouchy, too...dense. She could have any man she wanted, what had possessed him to think she'd ever settle down with him? Oh, sure, she'd had a crush on him, he knew that, but maybe she was coming to the realization that that's all it was, an infatuation. Hard reality was settling in with her, and his talk of their married life together had cemented her return to the light of that reality.

He knew he loved her enough to let her go, if that's what she wanted, but he looked bleakly at the days ahead without her. Who would he wake up with in the morning spooned up against? Who would he make love with every night? Who would he eat supper with? Who would watch the news with him? He gulped, his eyes suddenly stinging.

Jack took a deep breath. The best way to deal with this, the way he dealt with everything he dreaded, was to face it head-on, although part of him wanted to drop to his knees, wrap his arms around her legs and unashamedly BEG her to stay, while crying his heart out like a little girl. Instead he turned his head, kissed her on her temple and murmured huskily, "Hey...what's wrong?"

She turned and looked at him, startled. "I, uh, nothing, I'm fine." With a shaky breath she turned back to the television.

He kissed her again. "Tell me." It wasn't a request.

She shook her head and tried to rise, but he tightened the arm across her waist and kept her still. Dropping his head against the crook of her neck he repeated, "Tell me."

She became very still for a few moments, then took a deep breath and turned to face him. "I....when I had this discussion with Pete it didn't go very well, so forgive me if I'm a little nervous about it." Again she twisted the ring on her finger, and his gut twisted along with it, but he remained silent, merely raising the remote to shut off the television.

She'd discussed this with Pete? God, she'd given Pete back his engagement ring, too. This was it.

"Jack, you know most of this already, but at this stage in our relationship, it really needs to be said..." she fell silent and dropped her head.

He put a hand under her chin and raised her head to look at him. "Just say it, Sam." I can take it, he said to himself, although he felt like his heart was being ripped out of his body.

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Okay, well, you know that ever since Jolinar...well, that I have naquadah in my blood now, and she left behind a protein marker when she died and was absorbed into my body, right?"

Jack was lost, but he nodded his head. Naquadah? Jolinar? What did that have to do with Sam dumping him?

Sam's eyes filled with tears. She took his hands in hers and held them tightly. "Jack, you know that all the medical people have said that it would be nearly impossible for me to conceive a child after all that. You need to keep that in mind before you marry me." She was crying in earnest now, tears running down her face. "I know that after all you've been through, after...Charlie, that you would want to be a father again. God knows you deserve to be a father again after all that, but I may not be able to give you a child, as much as I want to." She dropped her head on his shoulder and sobbed.

Jack wrapped his arms around her and held her to him tightly, breathing a sigh of relief. THAT was what was bothering her? He wanted to kick himself for even making that comment about the nursery? What a stupid thing to say!

"Sam," he said softly. "Sam, look at me." She raised her head and looked at him, sniffling. He framed her beautiful face with his hands and gently wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "Sam, I love you. I have for a very long time, you know? The greatest miracle in my life is that you returned those feelings, and although we had to wait a hell of a long time, we finally got to be together. If I have you in my life, I have everything I've ever wanted. I couldn't ask for anything more. If we had a baby, that would be great. If not, I'm still the happiest guy on the planet-on any planet, okay? My only regret if you can't have children is that I know you want to be a mom, and I'd be sad if you didn't have that happen in your life, but personally, I have it all right now, with you."

He shut up then, thinking that he was babbling. "Heh," he smirked a little. "You know I'm not good with words, but that's how I feel."

Sam smiled through her tears, and kissed him. "Jack, I love you, too. You said just the right thing." She was crying again, but these were tears of happiness. "You mean it? All of it?"

Jack smiled. She thought his words had been enough? Cool! "Absolutely. Every word." He was emphatic about that.

She kissed him softly on the lips. "I love you so much." He smiled and was about to return the sentiment, when a thought struck him.

Sam suddenly looked uncertain again. "What? You look angry. Jack, what's the matter?" The hand on his arm tightened.

Jack shook his head. "Just fighting the overwhelming urge to drive over to Pete Shanahan's house and punch him in the nose. What did he say to you when you told him all this?"

Sam heaved a sigh of relief. "Well, at first he said I hadn't told him any of that, which was true, then he said in a sort of disappointed voice, 'well, we could always adopt, I guess,' and left the room. He didn't touch me for days after that."

Jack's anger grew. "That cuts it. Where's my car keys?" He started fumbling around in his pockets, when Sam stopped him, laughing.

"Oh, no you don't, mister. Besides, I have a better idea." She smiled and stood, pulling him to his feet. Without a word she led him to the bedroom. He had a silly grin on his face as he murmured, "Well, you know, on the other hand, there's that old saying, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. TRYING is good."

SJSJSJSJSJSJ

A year later, Mr. and Mrs. Jack O'Neill walked through the mall, clasped hands swinging slightly. As they approached one of the large department stores, Jack held back a little. Sam turned to look at him questioningly. He pointed behind him and said one word:

"Arcade."

Sam smiled, knowing how much Jack hated shopping. "Okay, I'll meet you back here at the entrance in, say, 45 minutes?"

Jack smiled gratefully and squeezed her hand before releasing it. "I'll get you your caramel corn/cheese corn thingy," he called over his shoulder.

Sam wandered around the store, looking at the shoes that were on sale, and stopping by the cosmetic counter to get a refill of that perfume Jack liked so much. Then her eyes were drawn to the children's department. She walked into the infant section and picked up a mint green sleeper, thinking how tiny it was. Were babies really small enough to fit into something like this? She put it down and picked up a pink one, smiling at it dreamily, when a voice said, "Sam?"

Sam looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. "Pete? What are you doing here?"

"Investigating a shoplifting ring that's been working the mall." Sam hadn't realized Pete had stayed on with the Colorado Springs PD. "How are you?"

"Fine, just fine, and you?"

Pete shrugged. "Good. I hear you got married."

"Yeah. Almost a year now." She came around the circular clothing rack toward him and saw his eyes nearly bug out of his head.

"You're pregnant." It sounded like an accusation.

Sam looked down at her belly and smiled. "Yep, due in about two months. It's a girl."

"You said you couldn't GET pregnant." Sam couldn't believe he looked slightly angry.

"No," she said patiently, "I said I MIGHT not be able to get pregnant, I didn't say it was a sure thing."

"Well, it looks like it happened easily enough." There was that accusatory tone again.

Sam chuckled, putting a hand on her stomach. "Yeah, actually it was surprisingly easy once I stopped worrying about it."

"You mean if you and I had tried..."

Sam shook her head. "I don't think so. See, as the SGC doctor explained to me, with all the "stuff" in my system, it would take someone very special to allow me to conceive. Our friend Thor has said Jack is very special--genetically, I mean, and, well..." She looked back down to her stomach.

"So, you're saying only O'Neill could have..." Pete gestured toward her stomach. A hand suddenly clapped him on the shoulder. "That's right Petey-boy," Jack said smugly, a crocodile grin on his face. "Consider it fate. Kismet. Destiny. Meant to be."

He handed Sam her bag of caramel corn and cheese corn mixed together and smiled genuinely at her. She made a little 'ooh' noise and started eating it eagerly. Jack turned back toward Pete and slipped an arm around Sam

"So, to what do we owe this unexpected meeting?" Jack's voice was deceptively casual, but Sam could feel the tension emanating from him.

Pete gestured over his shoulder, still bemused. "Shoplifting ring," he said vaguely.

"Ah. Well--we should let you get back to it, then"

Pete nodded and turned to go. "Oh. Congratulations by the way."

"Thanks," Sam and Jack said in unison, although Jack's voice was flat, and Sam's was somewhat muffled by the mouthful of caramel corn/cheese corn she was eating.

Sam turned toward her husband and gave him a quick, sticky kiss on the lips. "I thought you were going to meet me at the entrance."

Jack sighed dramatically. "Far be it from me to keep you from your caramel corn/cheese corn obsession. How long had he been here?" He asked, gesturing to where Pete had been standing.

Sam shrugged. "Just a couple of minutes. Still want to punch him in the nose?"

Jack covered his fist with one hand. "Oh, yes, so much."

Sam giggled and leaned into him. "My hero. I think I sort of got my revenge when he saw that I was pregnant, though."

Jack kissed her temple and said softly, "Well, good, then. So did I."

Sam changed the subject by dragging him over to look at more baby clothes, while Jack argued that he hadn't made it to the Arcade yet. Although he'd never admit it to Sam, he really enjoyed looking at all the baby stuff for their little girl, and they spent the next hour picking out little things to take home.

Fin


End file.
